


Standing Outside Your Door

by Cinza_Snicholls



Category: Edge of Normal
Genre: Edge of Normal - Freeform, EoN, F/F, krishen, mint tea extra mint, sports practice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-18
Updated: 2013-09-18
Packaged: 2017-12-26 22:58:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/971287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinza_Snicholls/pseuds/Cinza_Snicholls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After series 1, snapshots of what's happening, particularly moments between Kris and Gretchen, and Natalie and Riley. Shameless fanservice, basically.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Standing Outside Your Door

Evey stands outside a little cafe, looking through the glass. She gets odd looks from strangers for her ripped jeans and ragged appearance, but she ignores them and stands unmoving until her mum’s shift ends. 

Sandra walks out onto the street and peers at the girl in slight confusion. “I’m sorry...do I know you?”  
Evey shakes her head slowly. Then she steps forward and says quietly, “Remember me.”  
At first Sandra’s face is blank, her eyes flickering back and forth as wave after wave of memories crash through her mind. It takes time for her brain to process so much information, but her frown is clearing. The memories slot like puzzle pieces into the gaps in Sandra’s mind. For years she had known that something wasn’t quite right, that something was missing. But she couldn’t force herself to remember; the knowledge always slipped away before she could comprehend it. 

Shock and joy fill her expression in equal measure. “Evey!”  
“Mum?” Evey’s voice quavers a little.  
Sandra wraps her arms around Evey, choking sobs shaking through her. Evey buries her face in her mum’s shoulder, holding on tightly.  
I’m not letting you go this time.

* * *

Riley knows that staying away from Natalie would be a lot safer when it comes to keeping the Infinity Institute a secret. But hey, this is why she’d done it, right? So that she could stay with them – with Natalie. So that I can be normal for the first time in my life.

Natalie comes over to her table with a friendly smile. “Hey. The usual?”  
“Uh...Do I have a usual?”  
“Mint tea?”  
Riley nods. “Extra mint,” she says, smiling slightly.  
She avoids looking in the mirror until Natalie returns with the tea. Their fingertips brush as she hands it over, and Riley bites her lip.  
“Hey,” she says, taking her headphones out. “Um...y’know, I’m...sorry for making things awkward. With, ah...” She taps her temple.  
Natalie shakes her head, settling in the seat opposite Riley. “It’s okay. Y’know...I wish I didn’t have it. All the time.”  
Riley’s memories flash in Natalie’s head, of being harassed, objectified, cat-called. “I know the feeling.”  
Natalie nods. “Sorry.”  
Riley meets her eyes. “Do you hear it all the time? People’s thoughts?”  
Natalie sighs. “Pretty much. The pills help a bit.” She digs in her bag and holds up the little bottle.  
“You self-medicate? Isn’t that kind of...dangerous?”  
Natalie shrugs. “Yeah. But I don’t have much of a choice.”  
Riley takes a sip of her tea, frowning. “I wish there was a better way,” she says abruptly. “I wish I could help.”  
Natalie looks like she’s about to say something, but her workmate calls out to her from behind the counter.  
“Um, sorry. Gotta go. Listen, how about I...text you next time we’re meeting in the park or whatever. We’re all in the same boat, right?”

* * *

Kris paces back and forth, fists bunched at her sides. Punching the numbers into her phone, she texts Gretchen again. @ the lookout. Where r u?  
Best bet is that she’s gone to get some guy without telling Kris about it. Shit. How’s she supposed to manage that without me? Kris tries not to picture everything that could have gone wrong. Damn it, Gretchen. You could send me a text without even touching your phone. Why don’t you reply?  
She’s starting to panic and considering calling Natalie when Gretchen shows up unharmed.

“Hey,” she says casually.  
“Where have you been?”Kris demands, shoving Gretchen backwards. “You scared me!”  
Feeling electricity crackle on her palms, Kris takes a shuddering breath and turns away.  
“I wanted to keep you safe,” Gretchen says.  
“So you went without me? I thought –” she breaks off, squeezing her stinging eyes closed.  
Swallowing, Gretchen watches the curved silhouette of Kris’ shoulders trembling as she tries not to show that she’s crying. 

“Shit, Kris,” Gretchen says, reaching out to rest her hands on Kris’ back. “I’m sorry.”  
Kris doesn’t turn, so Gretchen walks around her, reaches to brush away the tears, as Kris has often done for her. Kris’ eyes widen, surprised by Gretchen’s closeness. 

“I’m sorry,” Gretchen says again. She moves her hands from Kris’ wet cheeks to rest on either side of her face. Holding Kris gently still, she leans in, letting her forehead rest against the wool of Kris’ beanie. Gretchen moves slowly closer, their noses brushing together, and finally their lips meet. The kiss is soft, and Kris returns it seemingly without thinking.

Kris stutters, “Is this...?”  
Tries again, “Are you...?”  
Gretchen smiles slightly. “Shut up.” She kisses her again, staying close even after their lips have parted.  
“Okay,” Kris whispers. “....okay.”

“Oh, hey,” Gretchen says, “I brought you something this time.”  
“What?”  
Gretchen pulls away, rummaging in her satchel until her hand closes around a plastic wrapper.  
“Is that what I think it is?”  
“Yep.” Gretchen drops the Twinkie into Kris’ outstretched hands and laughs at the look on her face. “You look like I just gave you the gift of life.”  
“Dude, I knew you’d admit these are good!”  
“Uh, no. You just like them because you’re crazy.”  
“At least try one.”  
“Nope.” Gretchen crosses her arms.  
Kris kisses her on the cheek. “Please?”  
She sighs. “Fine.” 

Unwrapping the sweet, Kris holds it out for her to bite.  
Gretchen chews slowly, judging. She frowns. “This tastes like cake. Except, like, a thousand years old.”  
Kris slaps her lightly on the arm and then dances away, shoving the rest of the Twinkie into her mouth. Her cheeks bulge, crumbs spilling onto her jacket. Kris screws up her face. “I’m gross.”  
Gretchen smiles. “But cute.” 

* * *

Riley looks down at herself as Katherine enters the high-ceilinged room. As usual when she’s in this woman’s presence, Riley looks the same, except that her clothes are those of a businesswoman. Katherine settles in the chair opposite Riley, leaning forward across the desk and smiling.  
“Why am I here?” Riley asks, shoulders slumped and looking down at the wood grain.

“Kimmi Freeman,” Katherine says, sliding a manila folder towards Riley. A photo of Kimmi is paper-clipped to the outside. “She’s a sensory precognate. Her power is manifesting at an accelerated rate –”  
“I know who Kimmi is, Mum.”  
Katherine taps her fingers lightly on the desk, still smiling. “We need to bring her in.”  
“She’s only eleven –”  
Katherine acts as if she doesn’t hear this. “Kimmi Freeman’s sister is dangerous, Riley. Unpredictable. We need your help with this.”  
When Riley doesn’t reply, she says, “Our targets are Kimmi Freeman and Natalie Reed.”

Natalie.

“You told me you’d leave the others alone!”  
“The Institute –”  
“I don’t care about the Institute! I’m not doing this again.”  
“I’m your mother, Riley. I only want what’s best for you.”  
“No, you don’t. You want to use me.”  
Riley stands up and pushes away from the desk. Turning, she pushes both headphones into her ears. But she still hears when her mother tells the guards, “Let her leave. Better if we still have her in place. She’ll be our spy, whether she wants to or not.”

* * *

Natalie is used to drowning out the babbling sea of thoughts all around her, but a familiar voice demands her attention. It’s Riley, and she’s panicking. Afraid.  
Why can I hear her from my house? Where is she?

A flash: Riley, hair slicked to her face by rain. Four men behind her, reaching out for her. Natalie holds a hand to her forehead.  
Again: Riley, as they see her, a victim to be hunted down. Pounding feet on asphalt. Riley, running desperate and terrified. Turning onto Natalie’s street. 

Natalie hurries to her door, opens it and calls, “Riley!” into the street. Riley catches sight of her in the doorway, eyes widening in surprise and relief. She turns sharply, losing her pursuers for a moment as she darts through Natalie’s door, which Natalie slams closed behind her. After pushing the latch and chain across, she turns to the girl standing soaked and panting beside her.  
“Are you okay?”  
Riley nods. “Thanks to you.”

Natalie closes her eyes, grimacing as the men’s thoughts push into her head. “They’re outside.”  
“I’ve showed them where you live. God, I’m – I’m so sorry.”  
Natalie shakes her head. “It’s fine. Let’s just call the police, okay?”  
“Right. Yeah.” 

Natalie is standing with her eyes closed and a hand covering her face, so Riley takes the phone from the hook and dials. She manages to explain the situation to the police without mentioning anything to do with powers, only stumbling when she has to ask Natalie the address of the house. It seems like a physical effort for Natalie to speak to her, struggling to piece the words together.  
Putting the phone down, Riley goes to her side. “What’s wrong?”  
Natalie takes a sharp breath. It sounds to Riley like a pained gasp. “I can hear their thoughts. The guys outside.” She looks up, her lip trembling. “I can see their thoughts. About...hurting you.”

Riley stands helplessly as Natalie’s face crumples in pain. Coming to her senses, she finds Natalie’s bag on the floor and rummages for the pill bottle. Pressing it into Natalie’s hand, Riley unscrews the lid with fumbling fingers.  
“Here. Please – here.”  
Natalie pops three pills into her mouth, but she’s still shaking. “It’s worse than usual,” she whispers. “They’re so angry, and that makes it...loud. I don’t think I can –” She breaks off, swaying on the spot. Riley catches her as she crumples. Half-carries her into the living-room, legs folding under both of their weight as they collapse onto the couch.  
“Nat...How do I help you?”  
Riley realises that her arms are still curled around Natalie, despite the fact that she’s no longer holding her up. She tries to move them away, but Natalie grips her hand, whispers, “...please.”  
So Riley stays where she is and holds Natalie until the police arrive. 

They’re afraid to answer the knock until they hear, “Police,” and Natalie can hear that their thoughts have replaced the angry men’s.  
Two police officers stand outside, a man and a woman. They show their IDs and Natalie asks, “Those men?”  
“In the back of the squad car.”  
“I can see why they did it, though,” the male police officer says, looking Riley up and down appreciatively. Riley cringes and Natalie steps in front of her. “How dare you,” she says coldly.

His partner looks apologetic and says, “They can be charged with trespass and harassment. Other than that, there’s not much we can do.”  
Natalie nods. “Thank you.”  
“We’ll probably need to take a statement, but we can do that some other time.” Her eyes flick to the policeman beside her.  
“We’ll be in touch,” the man says, smiling creepily, and then they’re gone.  
Natalie lets her breath huff out, closing the door. “How do you put up with that all the time?”  
“Sometimes I tell them to fuck off. Sometimes I just...wait until they go away.”  
Natalie looks at Riley; her shoulders slumped from the habit of making herself small, her expression almost perpetually miserable.  
There’s nothing to say except, “I’m sorry.”

She finds something practical to do in Riley’s wet hair and blue hands. “You must be cold. I’ll make you hot chocolate.”  
Natalie fetches Riley a towel for her hair, then sets to work in the kitchen.  
“Are you here on your own?” Riley asks curiously.  
Natalie shakes her head. “My grandma’s just out for a few hours.”  
“Oh, right.”

Natalie brings the hot chocolate over and Riley wraps both hands around the warm mug. She takes a sip and puts it down on the table. “Thanks.”  
“No problem,” Natalie smiles.  
On impulse, Riley takes Natalie’s hands, holding them gently in her own. “You’re so...You don’t have to look after everyone all the time, if you don’t want to. Maybe...maybe it’s time that somebody took care of you for once.”  
Natalie looks down at their twined hands, and Riley lets them slip apart. Natalie meets her eyes and says, “Those guys...Listen, I don’t want that same thing to happen again. Can I...I don’t know, walk you home or something?”  
Riley looks down at her lap. “Actually, I...don’t know what I’m gonna do. My mum kinda kicked me out.”  
“You can stay here,” Natalie says quickly. “Grandma won’t mind.”  
“Are you sure? I mean...”  
“Sure. Grandma barely notices whether I’m here or not, so...” There’s a tinge of sadness in her voice.  
“My parents don’t even know what I really look like,” Riley says, relating.  
“Wow, I...didn’t even think about that.”  
Riley says quietly, “Do you think...you see the real me...because of your mind-reading thing?”  
“I guess that would make sense,” Natalie says hesitantly. “But...people see their ideal version of you when they look at you, right?”  
Riley nods.  
“So maybe it’s just...maybe you’re my ideal version of you.”

* * *

All of them are gathered at Natalie’s house, Kris leaning into Gretchen’s side in a way that makes Riley very aware of the small space between herself and Natalie.  
There’s a knock at the door and Natalie stands to answer it, murmuring absently, “That can’t be Grandma; she wouldn’t need to knock…”  
Riley stands up to see past Natalie; someone blonde is at the door.  
“Evey!” Natalie says. “And…your mum?”

Riley feels the twist of panic, but there’s nothing she can do; Evey is already reaching out for Natalie’s hands, meeting her eyes. Riley watches miserably as Evey shows Natalie without words how Riley betrayed her, the ear-muffed guards and the white cell. 

Natalie whirls to face Riley, who cringes back against the wall. She’s never seen Natalie angry before.  
“You lied to us!” The others have come out of the lounge to see what’s going on now. Natalie looks directly at Riley and says quietly, with pain in her eyes, “You lied to me.”  
“I’m sorry,” Riley says desperately. “I had to do it, to keep you safe!”  
“What about keeping Evey safe?” Natalie demands. “Safely locked away in a cell, is that it?”  
Kris says, “I knew we couldn’t trust her, from the start.”  
“I didn’t mean – I thought if I stayed then I could protect you, warn you if they came close–”  
“And what good would that do, when you’ve already turned one of us in?”  
Riley slumps against the wall. “I’m sorry.” Nothing she can say will make them understand why she did it.

Kimmi, standing beside Kris, says quietly, “We still need her.”  
“Fine,” Natalie says flatly. “But we don’t have to trust her.”  
She turns away. “We don’t have to like her.”  
Riley closes her eyes as a knife blade twists in her gut.

* * *

Kimmi warns them just before it happens. She looks frightened for once as she says, “They’re coming to get me. The men with the tattoos.”  
Kris looks panicked. “When are they coming, Kimbear?” she asks, trying to keep her voice steady. “Where will they be?”  
“Right here,” Kimmi says.  
Gretchen turns her head and sees two men coming towards them, one tall and blonde, the other dark and heavy-set. Both have the tell-tale infinity sign branded on their forearms. 

“Kris,” Gretchen says urgently. Kris steps in front of her sister, and Gretchen feels the urge to shield both of them. She wishes the whole group was here, but Evey left with her mum half an hour ago, probably because of Riley.  
Gretchen glances at the dark-haired girl, wondering if they can trust her not to side with the men. She balls her hands into fists, prepared for attack from both sides. Natalie grimaces as the men draw closer, presumably at the thoughts projected into her head.

The tall man laughs at Kris’ defensive posture, reaching past her to grab at Kimmi’s shoulder. Gretchen shoves him away angrily. “Leave her alone!”  
The heavy-set man lunges at Gretchen and she stumbles, losing her footing and crashing painfully to the ground. The blonde man reaches for Kimmi again and Gretchen covers her eyes as Kris screams in wordless rage and explodes. Tendrils of electricity shoot from her eyes, her hands, wrapping around the tall man first and then his companion.  
Kris stands, fists clenched and shaking, while the tall man jerks limply in place. 

“Kris!” Natalie cries, but she doesn’t seem to hear.  
“Kris,” Gretchen says, quiet but forceful. “You can stop.”  
Kris gasps and the light retracts, leaving her shocked and white-faced, staring down at the two men.  
“Gretchen,” she says, voice unusually high. “I think I killed them – I think –”

Gretchen kneels beside the heavy-set man. He’s breathing. She moves to the blonde man, tries not to show her reaction when she finds no pulse.  
“Both alive,” she says, shielding the man from Kris’ view with her body. “Natalie – get Kimmi out of here.” By which she means, get Kris out of here.  
Gretchen thinks for a second. “Riley. Help me with these two.”  
Riley looks both surprised and relieved at being given something to do.  
“Take one of his arms,” Gretchen tells her, and Riley obeys. She freezes for a second as she realises the man is dead. Gretchen meets her eyes for a moment, and Riley closes her mouth without saying anything.

Natalie leads Kimmi and Kris gently away, and Gretchen breathes a sigh of relief. She and Riley drag the man’s tall frame clumsily along the deserted street. Once they’re around the corner, Riley asks, “Where are we taking him?”  
“Police station,” Gretchen says, a little short of breath. “They can deal with it.”

They reach their destination and Gretchen says, “His coat.”  
Riley looks at her blankly.  
“We have to take his coat off. It’s got our fingerprints on it.”  
Careful not to touch anything but the coat, they tug on the sleeves until the blonde man flops face-down onto the cement. Gretchen bundles the coat under her arm. “I’ll throw this in a dumpster later.”  
“There are security cameras,” Riley points out.  
Gretchen half-smiles. “No problem.”  
She blinks, and all record of their presence is wiped from the footage.

* * *

Natalie opens her door to find Riley standing outside, bottom lip caught between her teeth.  
“Natalie,” she says. “Can I come in?” After a beat she adds, “Please?”  
Natalie steps back warily and holds the door so that Riley can walk past her into the house. Closing it, she asks, “Why are you here?” without looking at Riley.  
“I wanted – I wanted to explain. I know you hate me right now–”  
“I don’t hate you,” Natalie says automatically, then adds, “I don’t like you, either.”  
Riley nods, absorbing that with a slightly pained expression.

“I didn’t do it because I wanted to,” Riley tells her, a note of desperation in her voice. “The, uh, the leader of the Infinity Institute has this power. It’s kind of like...hypnosis, I guess, except that it’s not immediate. It gets stronger the longer you’re around him, and being around other members magnifies it.” She pulls back her sleeve to show the infinity symbol inked onto her skin. “This mark has something to do with it, but I’m not sure exactly how it works. They put this on you when they’re planning to...indoctrinate you.”  
“So did it work?” Natalie asks, and Riley looks at her in confusion. Natalie takes a breath and says, “Are you one of them?”  
“No.” The answer is immediate, and the repulsion in Riley’s eyes at the idea is genuine.  
“So...why?”  
“My mum’s a member. It was...voluntary at first, and I don’t think she knew exactly what she was getting into. But now it’s...it’s not a choice for her anymore. She’s under his influence. I don’t know if there’s any way to break it.”  
“So why did you stay with her?”  
“I had nowhere else to go.”  
Natalie tries to ignore the twinge of pity. “So this...Infinity Institute, they kidnap people with powers?”  
Riley nods.  
“Why? I mean, what’s it for?”  
“I don’t know. Honestly. I only know what I’ve seen.”  
Natalie thinks for a moment and then says, “You know what? Show me.”  
“What?”  
Natalie taps her temple. “If you really trust me, then...just show me.”  
Riley steps forward nervously. “Okay.”

Natalie puts one hand on either side of Riley’s face, ignoring the hitch in the other girl’s breathing. Meeting Riley’s eyes, she goes into her mind.

A flash: A tiny Riley in a school uniform, curls escaping her makeshift ponytail. Her mum looks down at her and sees the same picture, only the uniform is for a private school and Riley’s hair is neatly combed.  
Again: Riley’s mother sighs over her daughter’s school report, her inevitable disappointment weighing down Riley’s slumped shoulders.  
A flash: Riley walks past a row of reflective windows, her image shifting and changing every few seconds as her schoolmates glance in her direction.  
A flash: Riley watches as two men drag Evey away, calling after her, “It was the only way to protect them. To protect her. I had to.”

Natalie jerks away from Riley, one hand coming up to her forehead while the other gropes for the pill bottle. She swallows hard and turns back to Riley.  
“You okay?” Riley searches her face.  
“I’m fine.”  
A flash: Riley, alone in her room, headphones in her ears. Eyes closed, she dances. The movement is sometimes fluid, sometimes jerky and angry. Either way, it’s honest, far more than the ever-changing face she wears.  
Again: Sitting in a cafeteria, Riley hunches her shoulders to block the calls of a boy sitting at the next table. Her thumb swipes over her iPod’s controls, turning up the music to drown him out.  
The picture shifts: Katherine Marks behind an imposing oak desk, saying, “Our targets are Kimmi Freeman and Natalie Reed.”  
Riley’s shocked face. “You told me you’d leave the others alone!”  
A flash: Riley holds out her arm to show her mother the brand new tattoo, bestowed on her despite the fact that she was unwilling. Katherine looks down on it with approval. Riley looks as though she’s trying not to cry.  
A flash: Riley, angry. “I’m not doing this again.”  
Katherine, sweetly deceptive. “I’m your mother, Riley. I only want what’s best for you.”  
“No, you don’t. You want to use me.” Riley stands up and pushes away from the desk.

Natalie retreats slowly from Riley, hands lingering and expression surprised.  
“You refused to help them.”  
Riley nods. “Remember how my mum kicked me out?”  
Natalie closes her eyes. “That was because you left.”  
“I couldn’t do it again. Especially when...they wanted you.”  
Natalie doesn’t know what to say.  
“I’m sorry, Natalie. I know...I hurt you. And Evey.”  
Natalie shakes her head. “Just as long as you don’t...I mean...”  
“I’m never going back there again. I’m not helping them.”  
“Okay.”  
“Nat...You’re the first person who’s ever seen me. I don’t –”  
“Riley, I’m sorry.” Natalie moves fast before she can change her mind, wrapping her arms around Riley. She feels the other girl tense up in surprise, and then relax, head dropping to Natalie’s shoulder.  
“What are you sorry for?” Riley asks, confused.  
“Everything,” Natalie says.  
Riley says softly, “Me too.”  
Eventually, Natalie pulls away.  
“Can I try something?” she asks.  
“Uh...What is it?”  
“When I...um, looked into your memories before? The second time, it didn’t hurt.” Natalie gestures towards her temple. “No headache. I think it’s because you let me in. Like maybe people are always resisting me, without even knowing it. It’s automatic to want to keep your secrets, right? But what if you decided to let someone see everything, because you had nothing to hide?”  
“Oh,” Riley says. “You want me to...let you into my head?”  
Natalie backtracks quickly. “Only if you want to, I mean. There’s no – you don’t have to.”  
“...It’s okay. Go ahead.”

Natalie lays her hands on either side of Riley’s face again, and Riley says, “Uh...what should I do?”  
“Just...try showing me something. A memory.”  
“What...I mean, what should I...?”  
Natalie smiles slightly. “Show me something happy.”  
Their eyes meet and the flash fills Natalie’s mind again. It clears and she sees Riley, sipping a cup of mint tea. Riley, dancing. Herself, curled in Riley’s arms.  
It takes her a second to recognise the image as the long minutes spent trying to block out the thoughts of the men outside her house. Thoughts about hurting Riley. Natalie hadn’t been able to let Riley pull away, because she needed to feel her there unharmed, to know that the images filling her head weren’t really happening.

A flash: Riley smiles to herself as Natalie walks away after their first meeting. Natalie takes Riley’s hands in the park. Natalie falls into step beside Riley and says, “I remember you.”  
Natalie blinks back into the present and asks, half-laughing, “Why do these all have me in them?”  
Riley seems confused. “Well...you said you wanted happy things.”  
The smile slides from Natalie’s face as she realises that these are the only memories Riley has that aren’t miserable. She takes Riley’s hands and says, “You know what? We can help you get your mum out of there. I’ll talk to the others. As long as the Infinity Institute is watching us, we’re still in danger. It’d be better if we find out exactly what we’re up against.”  
Riley shakes her head. “It’s too dangerous.”  
Natalie smiles. “You don’t think we’d stand a chance against them? With Evey’s power?”  
“Would she help, though? After...what I did?”  
“I think she has more than a slight grudge against them. Not to mention that this hypnotist guy sounds like bad news. And I’m sure Gretchen could convince Kris to help out.”  
“Okay,” Riley says, smiling tentatively. “Thanks.”  
“It’s a plan, then. Cool.”

* * *

Riley wakes at the sound of a creaky floorboard. Sitting up in the dark, she sees a shadow cross the doorway to Natalie’s spare room.  
“Natalie?”  
“Yeah. Did I wake you up? Sorry.”  
“It’s okay,” Riley slips out of bed and walks barefoot over to Natalie. “What are you doing, anyway?”  
“Oh, just...getting some water. To help with...” she holds up the little pill bottle.  
“It’s hurting you?”  
Natalie nods. “It can make it hard to sleep, sometimes. When there are lots of people nearby.”  
“That sucks.”  
“Yeah.” Natalie fumbles on the wall for the light switch. “Might as well turn this on, now that I’ve woken you anyway.”

Riley follows her to the kitchen, standing watching while Natalie swallows a pill and a large glass of water. Natalie’s short pyjamas are more revealing than anything else Riley’s seen her wear. She looks away guiltily, trying to keep her thoughts in check. For some reason this seems to be harder to keep secret than her betrayal of Evey was.  
Natalie puts her glass down on the sink and rejoins Riley. As they are about to part in the hallway, Natalie says, “Riley? This is going to sound kinda weird, but could you maybe...sleep next to me? ...It’s just that if I accidentally slip into your head, it won’t hurt. So I’ll be able to sleep better, I think.”  
Riley tries to control the blush creeping up her neck. “Okay.”

They lie down side by side on Natalie’s double bed, a small space between them, and Natalie leans over to turn off the lamp. Riley listens to Natalie’s quiet breathing until it settles into the shallow sound of sleep, then relaxes. Natalie rolls over, shifting closer to Riley, who just about stops breathing. Natalie’s arm drapes itself over Riley’s waist, and Riley decides never to move again.  
She sighs. They may have a fight ahead of them, going up against the Infinity Institute, but right now Riley doesn’t care about anything except the warmth of the girl beside her.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song "Standing Inside" by Life Down Here, which plays when Natalie and Riley first meet.


End file.
